


antonyms

by justsleepwalkin



Series: Coldwaveweek2016 [4]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry ships coldwave, Frenemies, M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 05:45:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,664
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6272155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justsleepwalkin/pseuds/justsleepwalkin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post LoT 1x08.<br/>“I'm going to ask you a question, Barry,” Len says instead of answering, a tension set in his shoulders that won't quit. “Since you're so set on the <i>hero</i> placard.” He paces around Barry, languid, watching each of his steps. “What, I wonder, is the difference between a hero and a legend?”</p><p>Coldwaveweek2016 | Day 4: Wildcard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	antonyms

He comes around the corner to the Flash and his sister squaring off.

“Oh, Lenny! So good of you to join us,” Lisa says, shifting the weight of her haul over her bag. 

He watches the Flash's gaze whip around, the confusion in those eyes, the held back bite of _Snart_. 

“Hello there, _Flash_ ,” Len drawls, hands up, his gun holstered at his side. “Been awhile. Thought we'd catch up.”

Barry steps sideways, trying to keep the pair of siblings in his vision, even as Lisa keeps getting further and further from the scene. “Stop it,” he says to Lisa. “I'm not letting you get away with that.”

“ _Please_ , Scarlet,” Len says, shrugging his shoulders, “It's barely much of a haul at all. Small job, when it comes to us, right?” He grins. “You know, so you wouldn't have expected to find her here.”

“This was a setup?” Barry asks, nervous.

“Well, sure it was. Can't just reach you by conventional means, hm? _This_ seemed best, and lets my sister have a bit of fun with you.”

Lisa waves a hand at Barry. “I _do_ enjoy these little trysts. Can I go now, dollface?”

Barry touches a hand to the side of his head, likely listening to Cisco yap at him. Len smirks. Lisa continues her escape. 

“Wait—” Barry flashes 'round to her, only to have her gold gun pointed at his chest, her head cocking to the side. He shies back just a bit. “I can't let you just walk out of here.”

“That's _exactly_ what you're going to do, Flash,” she explains. “Lest you want to become a golden ice statue.”

Barry grits his teeth.

“Your choice,” Lisa murmurs.

“Fine,” Barry forces out. “Get out of here.”

“Thought so,” she hums, turning away. “See you later, bro.”

Barry whirls on him when she's gone. “What's this about? What do you _want_?” 

“I told you!” He paces forward. “Just to talk. It's still 2016, yes? You still do things like _talk_? Or has a meta ruined your life while I've been on my escapades?”

There's a moment where Barry says nothing, just glaring. Then, he tilts his head, wry amusement filtering in and he asks, “Where's your parka?” 

He waves one hand through the air, fingers dancing, “Somewhere in space and time, I'm sure. I'm, let's say, _taking a break_.”

Barry's attention shifts, looking to shadows, entrances and exits, and with a swell of bitterness, Len realizes that he's _looking for Mick_. Without much thought, his gun's out of its holster, still held low, but its white-flame glows to life along its side. Barry's attention flinches back to him.

“Whoa, what...” Barry startles. “Hey, I let your sister go.”

Angry, Len stalks towards him, gun still humming, but he stops, breathes in, and sets the gun back where it was. 

“Okay?” Barry asks. 

“I'm going to ask you a question, Barry,” Len says instead of answering, a tension set in his shoulders that won't quit. “Since you're so set on the _hero_ placard.” He paces around Barry, languid, watching each of his steps. “What, I wonder, is the difference between a hero and a legend?”

That shakes Barry, as he expected it might, but he had to ask. There's no one else for him to use as a soundboard. 

“Why are you asking that?” Barry's voice warbles. 

“I've had a recent amount of doubts towards my current crew, none of which are particularly _heroic_ , though maybe they dream they were.” He folds his arms and leans away. Fingers hold his elbows. “But they are hopeful on being _legends_ , one day.” He shrugs a shoulder. “I find it more and more disturbing.”

Barry frowns. “Why? What happened?” 

Len matches his expression. “I'm not having this conversation with,” he waves a hand at his own head, “your little _friends_ listening.”

Barry nods. “Okay. Okay... Fine.” He breathes, hesitates, but then turns off his earpiece. He pulls his cowl back. “What's going on?” When Len doesn't answer, he makes an exasperated sound, turning around, arms out. “You set this up to talk, I swear you never _stop_ talking, but here you are... _not_ talking. Come on!” He drops his arms and focuses on Len and _something_ trips through his gaze and he starts to worry. 

“Heroes shouldn't turn a blind eye to murder,” Len whispers. He doesn't look at Barry. “You taught me that.”

Barry has a scared look on his face. “Seriously, Snart... _what_ is this about?”

“They think I killed Mick,” he says into the waiting silence. 

Barry reels. “Why would they think that? You would never do that, no matter the reason.”

“They think I did it to save them,” he drawls, barely containing his sneer, “to _protect_ the team. And they're _okay_ with that.”

“No!” Barry shouts. “ _No_. You'd never—how could they possibly think that?” Barry moves restlessly across the floor. “Don't they—don't they _know_ you?” He speeds right to Len, expression stricken. “I know you didn't do it,” Barry says. “Please. _Please_. I need to hear it.”

Len's stance shifts, his arms dropping to his sides, his right hand grazing the handle of the cold gun. His face closes off more than Barry's ever seen it, full-blown Captain Cold persona slamming into him, his eyes full of hate, a bitter smirk on his lips.

“What if I did, _Flash_?” Len asks, mocking him, waiting to see what he would do.

Barry shakes his head. “No. I'm certain you wouldn't have done it. Mick's—I mean—he's your—” He stops.

Len's left hand shoots out and barely makes purchase into the red leather of Barry suit. “He's my _what_?” he demands coldly.

Barry just looks sad. He tries several times to find the right word. “He's your partner,” he manages at last. “I... He's your partner and your _friend_ and...” 

Barry's eyes drop down to the cold gun, calculating, thinking. Realizing just how loose-canon Len is right then. Likely willing to shoot Barry if he says any one thing that Len doesn't approve of. Barry risks it, thinking that maybe Len just needs someone, anyone at this point, to recognize what Barry's seen. What he knows in his gut, how he can't understand how Len's team doesn't see it. Barry doesn't know the details about what happened, but this... _This_ he knows.

“You care for him,” Barry finishes.

Len releases him and steps away, eyes elsewhere. “It doesn't matter now, how I feel,” he says, quiet. “You didn't answer my question, Barry.” 

“I think heroes and legends _are_ different,” Barry replies. “I don't know, different codes I suppose. Heroes...” He licks his lips, fishing for words. “Heroes want to save everyone. _Everyone_. Do anything to save them. But...” 

A smile flashes across his face, there and gone. 

“I think legends aren't exactly trying to do that—I mean, sure, you, them, whatever—you're trying to save people. The world. Except the difference is that the risk is no matter the cost. To themselves, the surroundings. It's all about the greater good. And that's dangerous! That's a dangerous way to look at life. Because there are casualties in that. 

“So yeah. Heroes and legends aren't the same, Snart. And I'm really sorry that your team seems to be more legend-inclined than hero. I'm _sorry_ they think you killed him. I know you didn't. And I'm... I'm really glad you came to me to talk. Are you...” His shoulders slump. “Is Mick okay? I mean... I guess there's nothing I can do for him. I don't even know where—or when—he is.” He shakes his head, thinking of the oddities of time travel. 

More of the Captain Cold breaks out of Len's expression. “I don't think he is, Barry. And no, there's nothing you can do. I don't...” He laughs, and there goes the last of Cold, replaced by just Leonard Snart. “I don't think he's ever going to forgive me, kid.”

“Your wrong,” Barry argues. “Look, you probably just see me as some snotty-nosed optimist. I get it. It's part of my job as the hero to be an optimist. But look—I have to observe the people that I face, every time. To understand them, to know what they'll do, to know what you'll _steal_ next... To know you as a person, as much as possible. So I _watched_ you two. All the time! While you were here, anyway. Not off on some... time ship. So I'm _saying_ this as an observer, as a CSI! Mick cares for you, too. He's going to forgive you. It might take a _really_ long time, but it's going to be okay, Snart.”

A small laugh wisps out of Len. “You really believe the words coming out of you mouth, don't you, kid?”

Barry grins, holding his palms up and shrugging. “I gotta. I told you, it's a heroes duty to save everyone. Criminals included. Even the criminals with some... dysfunctional... relationship issues.” He quells at Len's glare. “I'm just calling it how it sounds, don't shoot me please, I _did_ let your sister get away with whatever she stole. I just... do you want my number? Call me like a _normal_ person? If you... ever need...” He frowns and combs his fingers through his hair, holding his neck. “Look it's weird but we've never been traditional hero and villain.”

Len turns his back to him. “Don't push your luck, kid,” he says.

“Yeah, yeah alright...” Barry pulls his cowl back up over his head. “Can you just... when you see Mick again and things are okay... can you let me know? I won't even complain if you use Lisa to steal something again, it's fine, I just want to know that you two are okay. Please.”

Len tosses a hand up in a halfhearted wave over his shoulder. “See you around, Flash.”

Barry sighs, shaking his head. “How is this my life...” he mumbles, and then there's red lightning, and he's gone.


End file.
